Roses
by VenusBerry
Summary: Silver Millennium! When Serenity sneaks off to Earth on multiple occasions, Venus and the others are stuck with retrieving her- while falling in love of course. Trying to follow your heart and the rules can be tough! Not to mention mysterious threats! Venus/Kunzite and Serenity/Endymion.
1. Encounter

Chapter 1- Encounter

A/N- This is the first tease of an intricate and heartbreaking silver millennium fic! This will mainly focus on Venus/Kunzite, but will revolve around Serenity/Endymion as well, since they truly kickstart the romance. The Silver Millennium is my favorite, and though it ends in tragedy, I'd like to stretch these relationships as much as I can. This chapter starts off with Serenity and Endymion's first encounter, leading up to the meeting of a few others ;) .

(Princess Serenity POV:)

I tried not to roll my eyes at the thought of another gala.

"Why?" I asked my mother, knowing I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of this one.

" _Because_ it's tradition." She combed her slender fingers through my locks of silvery hair, and started arranging it into the moon kingdom's signature odango buns. "Besides, it is only another opportunity to meet a suitor."

I sighed. This again.

"You are of age, and it is time you meet someone nice to marry and settle down with. And then-" she put the final pin into my hair and smiled at her accomplishment. "You will overtake my position as heir to the throne. As the _new_ Queen Serenity."

The last thing I wanted right now was to be queen. Queen is so- _Boring_. If I had it my way, I'd run off to a interesting planet. Like Earth. I gazed out my balcony to see the beautiful planet calling out to me. Oh how I wanted to visit Earth. One of the maids interrupted my thoughts.

"Queen- your prescience is needed in the ball room. Finishing touches for the gala."

My mother stood up and brushed off her dress. "Yes of course."

"This way milady." My mother exited the room, and the door shut softly.

Earth.

I moved from my position on my vanity chair, and started walking towards the open air. It was such a breathtaking view. Not that the moon wasn't, but Earth- I desperately needed a change. Taking a quick glance at my surroundings-reassuring I was alone- I slowly descended down off my balcony, only having to perform a soft jump to make it to the ground. Grinning at my apparent victory, I started to sneak off to the ball room.

Peeking inside, I got a good view of my mother, Jupiter, and Mars. I assumed Venus and Mercury were tending to somewhere else.

"Hey, 3/5 isn't bad." I whispered to myself as I squatted back down and ran back to my chambers.

Okay serenity, you can do this.

I jumped slightly on my heels knowing what I was about to do. It was fine- as long as I didn't get caught. Holding the crystal in front of me, I thought hard and concentrated on my destination. _Earth_. I shut my eyes for a moment, and when I reopened them, I was no longer surrounded by white marvel columns and dull skies, but greenery and lush winds.

I took in the sights around me slowly, barely comprehending it. I was here. My excitement was overpowering, and I couldn't help but plastering a huge grin on my face. I first sat to admire the colorful sprouts adorning the ground. The moon had no such thing. I found them astonishing, but there was one type in particular that caught my eye.

A red layered design, that seemed to speak to me. I plucked one from the ground softly, and admired its scent. I sat down in the lot of them, and wanted to lie there forever.

"Excuse me? Miss?" A voice woke me from my trance.

I sat up quickly, and turned to face the speaker, still clutching the unknown object close to my chest.

"You're actually trespassing on royal grounds."

"I'm so sorry I-" I hurried to gather myself and leave. Mother would be worried if I don't return soon and-

"...You- You're not from around here. Are you?" I locked eyes with the man for a moment, lost in his deep gaze. His ebony hair loosely hung over his forehead, and his lips were parted softly. I would be lying if I said he wasn't handsome.

"I- I um- no. I'm not." I clutched the foreign object slightly too tight, and felt a sharp pain in my hand. The strange man leaned forward, and brushed my bangs to the side with his fingers.

"You're a member of the royal family. A lunarian."

(Prince Endymion POV:)

She was breathtaking. Her hair cascaded down her back in two parts, held up by odango buns. Her eyes- they were a shockingly soft blue, and they seemed to ask for nothing but comfort. Her skin was pale and her features were all gentle. She seemed ethereal, and it entranced me. A lunarian. A _royal_ lunarian.

"I'm Endymion. Sorry if I startled you."

She seemed to gasp. "You're the prince." I smiled.

"And you are..." She returned my smile, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"I'm Serenity."

"So you're the princess."

She nodded slowly, and met eyes with me once again. I noticed she was still clutching the rose.

"Do you have flowers on the moon?" She seemed confused.

"No, we have no such thing." She scooted closer.

"That right there," I pointed to the rose she was holding so tightly. "That is a rose. My personal favorite. But they can prick you-" I took her hand in mine, and uncurled her fingers to reveal a small cut she had received from one of the thorns.

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it." I held my hand clasped over hers, and shut my eyes. When I removed my hand, her wound was healed.

"How did you-"

"It's a secret." I winked and brought my finger to my lips.

She blushed slightly, and I went to stand, holding out my hand to her.

"Care to go for a walk? I'll show you around?"

"That would be wonderful." She smiled yet again and took my hand, helping herself up.


	2. Repeat

Chapter 2- Repeat

A/N-

Happy New Year! Maybe I'll be more proactive in 2019 lol. This chapter was way longer but we're introducing Venus/Kunzite so yay! A new chapter of Death is Just a Setback might be going up too, but I still don't know if I'm happy with this upcoming chapter... Enjoy!

(Serenity POV:)

It had been one long week since I had last seen Endymion, and I had stopped counting how many times I had been to Earth. I truly longed to visit the planet- and the prince- again, but the senshi seemed to be constantly looming over me.

Tonight was the gala Mama had been preparing for, and I was already unsatisfied with what the night would hold.

It would be another boring 5 hour gala, with hundreds of representatives of the 7 planets meeting to discuss interplanetary business and trade. Then there would be the alarming amount of suitors. The princes, the dukes, the occasional decent looking man, who would only be looking for the title, and not truly accepting Serenity for Serenity. The food would always be of wonderful quality, but would be served in minimal portions, and the drinks would consist of champagne and maybe wine if mother felt classy, accompanied by hors d'oeuvres and tiny servings of cake. It would be a costly event of bothersome men, business talk, food that just didn't suit my tastes, and dancing. In my eyes, it all seemed repetitive and boring. But Venus insisted I go, and that I wear my hair with some extra accessories, and apply more extravagant makeup. She was good at the beauty stuff. I never bothered to learn.

It was starting to lighten up outside, and I hadn't moved from my position under the covers of my bed. I didn't see the point. Maybe I could be sick. And miss the gala. That sounded nice. I shut my eyes again (knowing I wouldn't be able to drift back to sleep) and tried to think about the best possible way to play sick.

"Serenity! Get up- Let's go, you can't lay in bed all day! You have to get ready for the ball later!" Mars was scolding me already? It wasn't even midday yet. I peeked out from under my sheets to see her rummaging around in my closet, picking out my favorite dress and a pair of off-white heels to match. At least she knew what I liked.

She threw back the curtains, letting in more than enough light to wake me. I groaned and shut my eyes.

"UP. Now. We don't have all day." I slid out of bed like my body had no muscle left, and nearly collapsed onto the floor. After Mars was sure I was awake as I could be, she left me to dress myself and fix my hair.

I yawned. My plot to be sick was ruined, and I would need a new escape plan.

…

The Moon, (Later that day):

(Venus POV:)

The ball was boring to say the least. Not to lie, I did enjoy events like these, being able to take a break from guardian duty and wear my princess attire, but this... I would need to discuss with the Queen about her party planning skills. Occasionally I would dance with some desperate suitor, get annoyed, and leave shortly after. Some men just weren't up to my tastes. Or they were self obsessed, money hungry, or just plain rude. Maybe all men weren't up to my tastes. Rolling my eyes as Jupiter joined some man from Uranus for a Waltz, I noticed Serenity head out to the courtyard. Which meant she was up to no good. Not that she ever is. I decided to follow her. Escaping this gala would be a dream come true. Apparently Serenity thought so too.

I snuck out the tall door and slipped into the cover of the darkness as I tried to find serenity. It took me a few moments, but I finally spotted her- she was sitting on a bench in front of the fountain, her shoes discarded near her on the floor, and her head resting in her hands. I decided against confronting her. Just in case. Shortly after discovering her, she slipped her heels back onto her feet, and summoned the crystal into her hands. For a moment she shut her eyes, and in the silence of the nightfall, heard her whisper:

"To Earth."

With a flash of white light, Serenity was gone.

Wait wait wait- I had to follow her. I couldn't let her get hurt or lost, the Queen would kill me!

Pulling my crystal from my pocket, I quickly transformed back into my senshi fuku, and repeated Serenity's actions.

"To Earth." I shut my eyes for a moment, and braced myself for anything odd. I had never been to the planet.

When I opened my eyes, I was not in the courtyard anymore. I was on _Earth_. It was beautiful. The sights, the smells, the castle. It was so different from Magellan, the sharp gold crystalline features standing out starkly against the greenery. I had read about these Terran features. They were called _plants_ in Mercury's books. Ranging from the soft blades of what I recalled to be _grass_ , to the large land masses of bark named _trees_ , they added a unique feel to the atmosphere. It was new, it was Terran, and I loved it. Nobody was around as far as I could see, and I started to wander helplessly, in search of the princess. She couldn't have gotten too far, but who knows how many times she's run off here. After countless moments of debate, I decided I'd head north, directly straight, in hopes Serenity had done the same. If not... it would probably take me way longer to find her. Looking up at the sky as I trekked forward, it was still around the late afternoon, making it slightly earlier in terms of daylight hours than on the moon. That was good. I would use the daylight to my advantage, hopefully making it easier to find her. Though I doubt it would be easy.

After not too long I found a fork in the path I had come across, and decided that I would take the left, only because that's what Serenity would do. On the bright side, hunting for the princess on Earth was way better than some lame gala on the moon. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. It would be fine. The path had led me through a garden, adorned with entangled ivy vines and budding flowers. If anything, I loved the nature of Earth, being so unique and unlike Venus and even the Moon. I shut my eyes and took a moment to relax and take in my surroundings, when I heard faint chatter. _People_! People could mean Serenity, and finding serenity (not that I didn't like the Earth) would be for the better. I hurried around a few bends and kept to the marbled path. It didn't take me long until I found them.

"Princess, I found you! Come on we have to go home-" Serenity had been fraternizing with the Terran prince, and I wasn't really surprised. What did surprise me, was the other voice that didn't belong to the Prince or Serenity.

"Must be tough," I had turned to face the voice, which I had guessed belonged to one of Endymion's generals, based on their attire. "Having a bundle of energy for a Princess." The man smirked and now that I was truly focused on his features, I realized any woman had to be all over this guy. His hair was a silvery color, and measured about shoulder length, and his eyes were a grey-blue as well. He seemed to have a muscular build, and that smirk was enough to make any lady swoon.

If it wasn't apparent enough, I was blushing a deep crimson.

"Kunzite!" The Prince was now scolding him for his comment on Serenity, not that he was wrong, but it could've been interpreted as slightly impolite.

So his name was Kunzite. One of Endymion's generals. I would have Mercury look into it later. Serenity was still complaining at the moment, but she didn't try to resist me dragging her back the way we came. We would make it at least out of the garden, and then teleport back. I clutched serenity's hands extremely tight, and used my crystal to take her home.

"To the Moon."

By the time we had made it back to the party, most of the guests had left, and people seemed to be clearing out. The Queen didn't seem to notice we were gone.

"Venus! Serenity! Where were you?" Asked Jupiter, hands firmly placed on her hips.

"Earth I assume?" Mars stepped forward and stared Serenity down for a moment, and backed up with a scoff.

"Again?" Mercury added.

" _Again_?" I turned to the silver haired princess. "How many times exactly have you been?"

"Um... A lot." Serenity nervously smiled as Mars rolled her eyes.

"No more sneaking off- especially not alone. It's dangerous." Jupiter seemed worried for Sere.

"And... Serenity," Mercury was looking Serenity right in the eyes. "Do not break the taboo. Promise me."

I watched serenity swallow hard and nod slowly. "I promise."


	3. Arrival

Chapter 3- Arrival

Its been way too long since I posted to this story (by my standards anyway) so here's chapter 3! If you weren't already aware, I'm basing my story mainly off of the manga and crystal. Enjoy!

I don't own Sailor Moon don't hurt me.

*ayo this chapter had way too many typos I had realized (I write these at 1 am i mean really) so this is the revised version with correct grammer! *gasp I know*

(Endymion POV:)

I tried hard not to roll my eyes at the young woman in front of me. I had been subjected to listening for the entirety of this one sided conversation for what felt like forever- it was torture. I was on the verge of falling asleep when Nephrite barged in.

"Prince- " He stopped to bow at the woman in front of me. I didn't even remember which kingdom she was from. "There's been a... _situation_."

I curiously raised an eyebrow and sat up. The woman glanced at me for a moment, and excused herself. Finally. Once the doors had shut, I turned my attention toward Nephrite.

"You're welcome." He smirked. "She seemed... interesting."

"Not in the slightest." I slightly sank in my chair and sighed. "If anything I'm sick of desperate suitors."

Nephrite had opened his mouth to say something, when Zoisite barged into the room.

"I was looking for you two! Come on." He quickly moved down the hallway, leaving Nephrite and I to quickly follow.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

"To adress the situation."

This piqued my interest. It wasn't just a distraction.

I followed the others into one of the rooms reserved for meetings (usually of high importance).

I swallowed hard. Maybe they were suspecting something was going on between Serenity and I.

Kunzite and Jadeite were already in the room, the latter sorting through a stack of assorted papers.

"This doesn't make sense." Jadeite softly said.

"What doesn't?" I was truly confused. This had to be bad.

"This." Kunzite handed me a hastily written document dated from earlier today. It must have been sent urgently.

I quickly skimmed the letter. This was odd.

"Earlier today, The northern region, close to Nephrite's jurisdiction, had reported a falling object coming from the sun's atmosphere.

"The sun?"

"Elysion we assume." I nodded and turned to listen to the rest of Kunzite's story. "We can only classify it as a meteorite, but it still doesn't add up. It doesn't appear to be intentionally sent."

"The entire village is 100% sure it came from the sun. The temple nearby claims to have sensed bad energy on it's impact. We still don't know." Zoisite added.

"Where is it now?" I asked, hands clasped together gently on the table.

"That's what doesn't make any sense." Jadeite spun around in his chair once and slid the file towards me. "It's gone."

I arched my brow and shuffled through the photos and documents. The site was untouched, and the crater remained, but the meteorite from the sun was missing.

"We need to keep a watch on this area... Nephrite- I trust you'll handle that." He bowed slightly.

"Yes, your highness."

"Men. My kings. If anything happens... don't hesitate to contact planetary help. The moon specifically."

"But your highness, Jupiter has better milit-" Zoisite did have a good point- but I couldn't risk Serenity getting hurt.

"They will be contacted first if the time comes. No more debate is needed." I acknowledged the men and left the room. I had a bad feeling about this.

...

(Later that day:)

(Serenity POV:)

"Endymion!" I picked up the hem of my dress and started sprinting towards the prince, a huge grin plastered on my face.

I knew Venus was trailing behind me, since she wouldn't let me come without one of the guardians. It was better than not being allowed to come at all. Endymion turned toward me, diverting his attention away from Kunzite.

"Serenity?" He was smiling, if not obvious, but it would seem odd I would come at such an early hour.

Once I was positive I was at a close enough distance, I jumped into a hug.

Kunzite smirked, and I was positive I saw Venus roll her eyes and laugh out of the corner of my vision.

"Why are you here?" Endymion backed up slightly, and brushed my bangs out of my eyes.

"Venus and I snuck away for a little bit..." The Prince was holding back a grin. "I'm not allowed to come without supervision anymore." I turned to make sure Venus wasn't paying attention. "She's like my babysitter." I whispered.

Endymion chuckled. Bringing his face close to mine, he whispered back in my ear. "I have one of those too." He nodded his head towards Kunzite. I giggled to try and hide the blush that was forming on my cheeks.

(Kunzite POV:)

As much as I was trying to keep an eye on the prince, I couldn't help turning to look at the figure behind Serenity.

Venus I assumed. She seemed fit to be the goddess of beauty.

She spun her head in my direction for a moment, locking her deep blue eyes with mine. I turned my attention back to the prince and princess, who had already started inching farther and farther away.

"Serenity! Where are you going?" Venus called out.

"Endymion is going to show me more of the gardens! We won't be far, I promise!" The princess grasped the prince's hand and continued skipping down the marble floors.

I turned back to face Aphrodite herself, only she was gone.

"So. Is he just as stubborn?" She was standing to my right now, relatively close to my side.

"He's definitely persistent." The others were nearly out of my sight.

Venus smirked. "Serenity's the same way. I- I didn't want to say anything before, but they-"

"They're breaking taboo. I'm well aware."

"What can we do about it?"

"Nothing. Just pray nobody important finds out."

"The truth is, I've never seen Serenity so happy." I turned slightly to face her. "She's so joyful with Endymion, here on Earth. They really have something special. Even if it breaks regulation." Venus sighed, and shut her eyes for a moment, taking in the breeze.

(Venus POV:)

I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smells of the Terran planet.

For a moment I fidgeted with the hem of my skirt, unsure of what I wanted to say to the man next to me.

"We could always follow them..." I looked up to Kunzite, his sliver locks brushing against his shoulders.

I smirked. "Of course."


	4. Stranger

Chapter 4- Stranger

I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to upload. School has been horrible, and I have midterms coming up, but I still managed to crank out this chapter, and maybe another later to cope with stresses! Next chapter should be pretty cute once it gets published... Anyway- enjoy!

(Venus POV:)

I sighed as my shoes slightly sank into the plush grass below me. I guess Kunzite found it entertaining. The sight of me being so star struck by the natural sights and greenery surrounding us.

We were still on the hunt for the princess- and the prince, having walked for a few minutes beside each other. They just left, and somehow, we still managed to lose track of both of them. Looking up to my right, I tried to see what was going on with Kunzite. He seemed unphased by the whole situation. This was probably common.

"So. About Endymion and Serenity- I know you said we can't really do anything about their... situation- but I'm genuinely worried. All the Queen told us about Earth, was that it should be avoided- isolated- and that we were to never associate with its inhabitants. But that's gone horribly wrong- and her apparent desire to keep Sere away, has only fueled her curiosity to come here. And now look where it's led her. Into blind love." I said, avoiding eye contact.

"I still do believe we can't really do anything. What's left? At this point, they've gone too far. We can't force them apart. He loves her too much." He sighed

"As she loves him."

"Exactly." The conversation died for a few moments. "But- say the Queen found out about Serenity's affair with the prince. What would happen."

"Let's hope we never have to find out." Then I heard it. Soft- probably distant voices. Serenity!

I picked up the pace slightly, Kunzite following. I grabbed the hem of his cape, and turned to face him.

"We found them!" He grinned. I felt a warm feeling of completeness in my core. It startled me for a moment- but the noise of the pair ahead of me shook me out of my dazed confusion.

"Maybe-" He said softly. "It's best we don't let them know we're here."

"Okay- " my gloved hands let go of his cape- not realizing I had been involuntarily holding it for the past minute. Endymion walked slightly farther from Serenity. Leaving a further gap between the two and a closer gap between him and us. Wonderful. Placing my hands on Kunzite's back I slightly pushed him and urged him silently to hide. I felt the anxiety rush. What would he say seeing us both spying on them being all cute? I didn't want to know. As much as I knew, Endymion was nice, caring, and respectful- but I really didn't want to have to face confrontation. Without me noticing, Kunzite had crouched down behind a tree and an extremely large topiary-esque bush. Perfect. Without notifying my companion- I kneeled down and crawled into the bush. Roomy. I loved Earth. Endymion was getting closer, and now Serenity was trotting over too. Shit. Kunzite had thankfully spotted me, and then I realized maybe the bush wasn't roomy enough for two people. We had to make it work.

"Scoot over!" I harshly whispered to the man I realized was practically a stranger. That made it more awkward, and caught the prince's attention.

"Did you hear that?" Serenity seemed bewildered.

"Um. No? What is it." She was hiding behind him with her petite pale hands on his shoulders. Hmph. Love. Maybe Serenity was too fragile for this- maybe-

Kunzite grabbed my arm. I had instinctively moved forward. I turned to face him, fully taking in all of his features. Eyes trailing from his eyes down to his exposed collarbone. Damn him for not buttoning up his uniform. My breath hastened. Maybe I did have a crush. Apparently I must have made a sound, because a second later- he swiftly grabbed my waist and pulled me closer, putting a hand over my mouth. I was so bad at this hiding thing. On the plus side, I didn't have to crouch anymore, as him pulling me away from the edge put me in a much more comfortable position. Which happened to be sitting on his thigh. I wanted to stab myself. I barely knew this Terran man, and now I was in a less than decent position on him, almost inches away from laying on him. Spare me mother.

(Kunzite POV:)

Thank the gods I have as much self control as I do. This infatuating woman was sitting on me- which was partially my fault, but regardless it made my heartbeat quicken. She wasn't the prettiest woman ever, despite being the daughter of Aphrodite herself, but there was something about her. Something enticing and pure. And it had it's hold on me. I sighed. Slowly my hand dropped from her mouth. Praying she wouldn't speak again. Not that it mattered that much. Surely Endymion would be mad, and Serenity might take personal offense that we were stalking them, but after all, it was my job.

I heard the princess squeal. Crap.

"Endy! Look!" I swallowed hard and pulled Venus closer. She writhed slightly.

Serenity bent down and picked up a rabbit. A fluffy one. It reminded me of her. Innocent. White. Curious. Adorable. She had that effect on people. Maybe that's why they kept her so heavily guarded. My prince smiled. Obviously enjoying seeing her so overjoyed by the Terran creature. It jumped out of her arms into the plush grass, and she knelt down to chase it into the nearby brush. She kept crawling farther after it to a point she wasn't visible anymore. Endymion chucked and walked over to the marble bench and retrieved her white pearl bracelet. Then she came. Slowly jogging in her brown flats over toward him. He looked back at where Serenity was and motioned for her to stay hidden with the rabbit in arms. She backed up slightly. The new woman finally caught up to Endy, and smiled her wide pristine grin.

"Prince." She bowed, her wine red hair falling off her shoulders and down over her face.

"Beryl." He didn't seem thrilled to have her here.

"It's wonderful outside- isn't it?" She said, with her honeyed voice.

"Ah. Yes. It's been rather pleasant these past couple days." Obviously wanting her gone, he probed her with a question. "What brings you here? Don't you have work in the northern jurisdiction?"

"Well- yes, it's been... different over there." I eyed her skeptically. Venus turned to face me, with an obvious look of confusion. I shook my head shaking it off. We both turned back to watch.

"I hope everything's okay with the people. My schedule- it's been... hectic."

"Then tell me why you aren't there now?" The little bastard.

"A prince needs his personal time."

"I see." She turned away. "Your father was telling me how you're in need of a Queen."

"I am indeed." He side glanced at serenity's position, where only Venus and I could see her anxiously petting the white bundle in her arms.

"Well- I'll have you know I-" Endymion was quick to interrupt.

"I'm not interested Beryl. I'm sorry. I truly am."

She lowered her head and stared at the floor. "Yes your highness." She turned away, mumbling something while slowly leaving the prince by himself.

"I wasn't expecting her to be so straightforward. To be honest the reaction was better than expected." He said while reaching out for Serenity's hand.

(Venus POV:)

Serenity looked somewhat solemn. She probably felt threatened by the woman. She was pretty, sure, but she didn't have the same appeal as my princess did. Serenity was just ethereal. Even for a lunarian. She had that affect, and she was so innocent- like she needed protecting. You could see it now. In her eyes. Like a sad puppy.

She was still clutching the rabbit. It was asleep in her arms. The prince came over and embraced her in a hug, brushing his fingers through her silvery platinum hair, careful to not disturb the pearls strung into it. I nudged Kunzite's shoulder and signaled we should probably leave. He nodded. We were far enough away now to sneak out without them seeing.

After successfully making it out- I rested my head against one of the distressed marble pillars of a gazebo adorned with roses. There seemed to be a fair amount of those distributed throughout the garden. Kunzite must have noticed me counting them because he interrupted my thoughts by saying, "The roses are Endymion's favorite. That's why there's so many." I smiled. He proceeded to take a scarlet red one off the long vine and tuck it in my hair in front of my bow. He moved his hand out my hair and trailed it down the side of my face, stopping at my chin. He leaned slightly closer, and I shut my eyes until I heard Serenity call out for me. Damn. He retracted his hand and I saw my princess in white come running, holding her dress up with her perfectly manicured petite hand, soft rabbit tucked in the other. I grinned.

"Ready to go already?" I asked sarcastically, still mentally shaken by the fact Kunzite was going to kiss me. A missed opportunity. I sighed.

"Well, Endymion said he has urgent stuff to deal with. Jadeite came and had to practically drag him inside. He said something about the north again." Sere said tapping her chin.

"Shit. I have to go. Princess," he bowed for Serenity. "Lady Venus." I nodded and he ran off, hand on the hilt of the sword. This was serious apparently.

"Well, " I took serenity's hand in mine. "Ready to go?" She scooted the rabbit closer and nodded. "To the moon."

Then all I saw was the blinding light.


	5. Safeties

Chapter 5- Safeties

A/N- Yes. I'm alive. It's been a while since I've posted, so to make up for you guys can have an EXTRA LONG chapter. It's not _that_ long, but I tend to write short chapters for the most part... (3x the usual is pretty crazy for me!). This chapter took an odd turn, but it introduces what I meant to be an important side plot to this story, and there isn't much romance at all, but lots of story and drama. I promise we'll be getting more of Sere, Endy, and the senshi/shittenou after this, but this chapter is VERY venus oriented. (Sorry). It ends on sort of a weird note, but it's supposed to be humorous and a sort of look into an interaction between 2 characters who I think have rare to never met. Please RR. :)

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(Venus POV:)

After coming back from Earth I felt exhasusted. To be honest, I had no reason to be other than stress. I could see Serenity trotting through the castle as sneaky as possible, the tiny rabbit bouncing after her in a jagged trail. How she was going to keep that a secret remained a mystery to me. I leaned my head against the pale crystalline wall and shut my eyes. Maybe a moment of relaxation would do something to calm me down. At this point I was more worried about Serenity's problems over my own. The red headed woman... who was she? Obviously she knew the prince, and had some kind of interest in him. Kunzite failed to mention anything important about her- not that there should be. I didn't know why I was letting my mind wander towards thoughts of the worst. She was just a fan. Of course. Nothing else. Serenity had no reason for worrying.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by a familiar voice. "Venus."

"Queen! I apologize for inadequate behavior on duty." I fell to my knees and lowered my head.

"Nonsense." She chuckled. "My daughter is being accompanied by Mercury at the moment. She's behind on her hierarchical studies." I always felt intimidated by the Queen, her tall regal posture, the elegance of her attire, her judging yet loving gaze, the list could go on. Yet, she played the perfect monarch and mother at the same time. So much responsibility on her shoulders. Ruling and protecting the most delicate union of the galaxy. She was a miracle worker.

"That's relieving. Again, I apologize- my thoughts were getting the best of me, and the princess escaped my mind."

"I'm starting to think Serenity has calmed down a bit, less escapades through the moon and pleading to go to the forbidden planet below." She nearly shivered. I refrained from showing signs of nervousness.

"Yes... she's becoming more mature. It's amazing seeing her change on her own in such a short time." Honestly, I didn't know how long I could keep this lie going. Lying to my Queen was one the hardest things I'd done. And on a daily basis too. But if she knew... who knows.

"Are you sure you're fine Venus? You seem distressed." I regained composure.

I grinned. "Not distressed, but tired and relaxation-deprived. Nothing physically taxing I assure you." She walked forward, and placed her perfect hands on my shoulders.

"Maybe not, but mentally is a different case. " She placed the back of one her pale hands on my forehead, brushing past my tiara. "I think you should take a break. Go home, relax, at least for the rest of today. Serenity will be fine without you for a few days at most." Her hands fell from my shoulders and clasped in front of her, the small jingling of the pearls adorning her wrists being the only sound heard throughout the large expanse of room.

I internally knew there would be no arguing with the Queen, so I simply nodded, and headed toward my chamber of the palace, platform heels making a soft click on the crystal floor below me, which was cut perfectly intricate to reflect the light in an array of rainbow color.

Approaching the outside walkway to the separate faction of the rather large castle, I inhaled the air of the extremely still atmosphere, soon realizing it was different than the Terran air I had been breathing for the last couple hours. It was stagnant, unmoving, and overall bland. The air on Earth was full of life and energy. The winds- I sighed. I guess I never realized how much I admired the little factors of Serenity's escape planet until now. Arriving upon my room, I slowly pushed open the large frosted door, and came to retrieve nothing but a necklace and my stone. Gripping it tight, I whispered to myself as if it were a secret for no one else, " to Magellan."

(Kunzite POV:)

While I felt almost guilty for leaving the Princess and Miss Venus in such a hurry, it must have been urgent for Jadeite to retrieve the Prince under such conditions. Swinging open the door of the conference room, I saw Nephrite in his expected position, arms crossed in his seat, with legs propped up on the table, though crossed as well. I was too caught up in the spontaneous chaos to reprimand him. Zoisite stood by the far right wall, pacing and biting his fingernails. I noticed immediately a stringboard full of photos and handwritten documents, which I recognized from being linked to the missing meteorite from before. This again. Endymion had just arrived seconds before me, leaning against the table with his brows scrunched. Jadeite was awkwardly standing in front of me mid- jog, presumably on his way to bring me here. He simply addressed the fact I was present and walked over to the string board randomly stretched across the wall, grabbing Zoisite's attention, who proceeded to shake his head to regain focus and flip through the photos and documentation.

"I know this was sudden, and unexpected, and interfering with personal timed events, but it was very important." He made sure to make direct eye contact with Endy and I before continuing. "This morning, a woman from Neph's area came in panting, and disheveled. Apparently she ran from there to here in 2 hours to get this to us." He pinned it to the board.

"Why not take a horse?" Endymion asked.

"Dead. Every last one. The crops too." Everyone was silent. Then Zoi started talking again.

"They reported multiple energy spikes in that area over the past couple days. Overnight, the crops and animals died spontaneously, with no cause of death other than natural causes being determined. Despite the disgusting brutality of their conditions that is." He took 2 photos out of the poorly enclosed folder on the table, and tossed them to Jadeite.

"What the hell-" seemed to be all Jade had to say. He passed the photos around. One was of the crops and plants, all wilted and dehydrated. The second was hard to look at, focusing on an expanse that must have gone farther than the range of the capture due to how many animals were pictured. They were all brutally torn from the inside out. I set it down facing the table.

"The energy spikes have been slowly inching towards our hearth, the golden kingdom. We have no other belief of this entity other than a presumed threat, and I personally believe it may be an affect of our still missing meteorite."

"What I don't seem to understand is where the energy is coming from. When you scanned the meteorite initially, nothing showed up." Nephrite stated.

"Well, yes. The technology I have access to is slightly outdated from the latest mercurian tech, leading me to believe its something either so foreign or advanced, I couldn't see it.

"What should we do?" Endymion said, still judging the display spread on the wall in front of him.

"We can't do anything. There's no source, no pattern, no way of detecting it. We have to watch blind." I chipped in. For once in my life, I was concerned for the safety of our kingdom.

(Venus POV:)

It hadn't been long since I'd been to Magellan, yet every time I was faced with the warm gates of home, I rejoiced. I walked through the courtyard garden, waving to the few guards or civilians I passed on my way to the castle itself. Mother was probably busy. Running a kingdom by yourself couldn't be easy. I respected her for it, even if she wasn't entirely present throughout my childhood, and the staff practically raised me. She was still my mother, and I treated her like one. The first place I went was my chambers. I squealed at the sight of my giant plush bed and kicking off my shoes took a running start. It was like landing in a cloud. Somethings on Venus were better than the moon, this hands down being one of them. I giggled to myself while staring at my hand painted ceiling. Small little stars and planets. 8 year old me happened to think they were a revolutionary artist. That was before I was told I was appointed to serve the princess that is. A small knock on the door could be heard from my position in the large room.

"Come in," I said, sitting myself up and brushing my fingers through my hair.

"Princess Venus," the maid bowed in her cream colored dress that contrasted her warm amber skin. "We were informed of your unexpected arrival. Needed a vacation?"

"Carnelia." I lowered my head in a soft bow movement. "It was more of an order rather than a vacation if we're being honest." I moved from my position on the bed, watching as she added a few cubes of sugar to my tea.

"Oh my lady." Her yellow eyes widened, and she brushed her deep gold hair out of her face.

"What?"

"Your outfit! The senshi uniform is a little out of place for home don't you think? Just be lucky I caught it before your mother. You know what she'd say."

"Yes, but... what do I wear? Most of my wardrobe is out of season, and most of my new clothes haven't been tailored since I wasn't scheduled to be here for a while more..."

"No worries, I can call Citrine up and have her find something. For now let's get you fixed up." She gestured for me to sit down, which I did, and then softly untied the bow in my hair, letting my pale locks fall back to the front of my face. She then brushed my hair back out of the way to remove my choker and earrings, and slid the tiara off past my bangs to reveal the sign of Venus. Apparently Citrine had been summoned sometime when I wasn't paying attention, because, a moment later she came into the room with a pale yellow satin dress, and a few accessories and supplies.

"I've been working on this dress for quite a while, and it's the closest I have to finished. There's 2 seams that need closing, but I can have them done in a moment here."

"Thank you." I smiled at her, and she smiled back. She sat there on the bed stitching up the last of the dress while the accessories sat spread on the bed. I continued undressing from my sailor uniform, unhooking the bow and the bodice, so the skirt could slide off easily. Then came the gloves, which took slightly longer than necessary due to me pulling each finger's slot off one by one. Left only in my underclothes, I carefully took the freshly finished dress out of Citrine's hands and with Carnelia's help, slid it over my body and adjusted all the straps and bows.

It was a very intricate dress, with a simple base consisting of a low cut neckline with basic straps and 2 high slits on either leg that went all the way to the hip. Each strap had a bow, the loose ribbons under the skits that went across my thighs, and so did the matching choker. Carnelia brushed out and tied the yellow satin bow in my hair, then turned to find and appropriate pair of shoes. I walked myself over to a table with many jewelry and knick-knack assortments laying on it, and picked up my favorite yellow bracelet, sliding it on my arm, and stuck in earrings of a lavender stone I had received as a present years before. I also decided to wear the necklace I brought back from the moon. It was a long gold chain with a purple pendant in a teardrop shape. Serenity had brought it for me back when she had first met Endymion. Apparently he sent her back with gifts for all of us to keep us on good terms. I had never worn the necklace until now, seeing as there were few opportunities for me to get dressed up on the moon with all the duties I had. Adjusting the clasp in the back, the necklace ended up falling right above my cleavage, which led me to examine the look of the dress in the mirror. It was a nice color and material, and pretty tight, yet loose near the bottom. The slits were very high, even for me, and the push up top of the dress squished my breasts together. It was an eye catcher, but I loved it. Carnelia came back to me with a pair of platform transparent yellow heels. I slipped my feet into them and brushed out any imperfections in my hair. Citrine smiled and I walked myself out of the room to meet my mother and the guard for dinner.

"Presenting the Princess Aphrodite," said one of the staff near the end of the hall. I hated when they announced my presence. It was unnecessary and a waste of attention. I could feel the eyes scanning my body up and down, trailing on certain spots way longer than they should have. I felt exposed. Living on the moon for so long had changed my views on most things concerning my home culture.

I took a seat on the opposite head of the table from where my mother was, joining my mother's guard who were already settled. I felt guilty for being late.

Eventually, the staff came out and laid down plenty of food for the amount of people there. I knew well that as a whole we might eat half. My mother refrained from speaking or making eye contact with me. It was driving me insane. She only ever did that if she was purposefully doing it. And oh she was.

Why in the world would she ignore me? If it was purposeful- for what reason? After dinner was near an end, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Moth-" I started to speak.

"You're getting married." She finally looked up at me. Gold eyes meeting gold eyes. I grasped the utensil in my hand as hard as I could bring myself to grab it, and my other hand had the bottom half of my dress scrunched in my fist. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Why me? Why now?

"What?" I asked.

"You're getting married."

"Why on Venus wouldn't you tell me." I stared back into my lap. "WHY?"

"I told you now didnt I? I didn't think-"

"YOU DIDN'T THINK WHAT? THAT I WOULD CARE? THAT I WANTED LOVE? THAT I'D WAIT FOR A SOULMATE?"

"Lower your voice. Whether you like or not young lady it is happening in one month. I suggest you get your act together." She pushed her chair out and walked away. Before she finally left the room she said, "And you know how I feel about soulmates." Then she left. As if nothing happened. I loudly pushed out my own chair and ran to my room, heels lost in the chaos. Bare feet on cold crystalline floor, tears streaming down my face. I hated her. I hated I hated I hated I hated I hated her. I didn't get a say. I didn't get approval. I got pulled and pushed around like a puppet on a string. Screw relaxation. Screw Magellan. Screw my mother. Screw-

Carnelia knocked on the door. "Come in." I mumbled, trying to wipe the stray tears off my face.

"For you." She left a letter on my bed and left promptly after. I hesitantly went to reach for it. The tears came flowing back. Breaking open the cream seal, I carefully slid out the 3 pieces of paper. One was a photo, one was a letter, and one was an invitation. An invitation to my own marriage. In the photo, there was a man who seemed to be way older than I, and he wasn't very attractive or even nice looking. My breath caught in my throat. Was this the man? I quickly tossed the letter aside. I didn't want to know him by name. How could my own mother do this? I stood up and ran out onto my balcony, leaping off in one swift movement. I ran. I just ran. Off Magellan. I grabbed my crystal from the dress pocket and tried to concentrate.

"T-the moon-" I choked on my tears. I tried again. "The m-mo-on-" "D-DAMNIT!" I couldn't concentrate, and I damn well wasn't going to wait till I could think straight.

The teleporters.

Old technology, sure, but they had to still work. I immediately took off towards the old building, running as fast as my body would take me. I saw it. Run. Run V run. Finally, I made it to the buildings. Right as I was making my last few steps toward the teleporters, a glimmer in the ground caught my eye. I lowered my hand from the large doors and stepped closer, kneeling in the grass. I found that the glimmering object was a pair of intricate golden scissors, but when I went to grab them, they wouldn't budge.

I started to try and pull them from the ground. They looked like they had been there for ages. I figured I would have to open the doors if I were going to be able to grab the scissors. Still, I tried to pull them out, grabbing them handle one last time and pulling with all my might. "Screw this stupid planet-"

"Princess." A voice said.

"AGH!" I fell backwards, onto my back, still not in possession of the odd scissors.

When I looked up to see who had snuck up behind me, I saw one of the palace guards. A younger one, perhaps a new hire. Scrambling to my feet, I brushed off my dress and stood up to face the man.

"Sorry for interrupting your highness- you looked like you were trying to... I don't even know to be honest."

"Excuse me, um, Mr.-"

"Adonis."

"Adonis. I dropped my... necklace! Yes! I was looking for it. It's hard to see in the dark..."

"Ah. I see. So, princess, are you even allowed to be out of your chambers at this hour?"

"Well- uh, see the thing is..."

"I won't tell." He brought a finger to his lips and smirked. I had to admit he was attractive, even if he wasn't my go-to type. I was blushing at the moment, and I had to shake myself out of the dazed daydream.

"You probably have stuff to do at the moment, right? You should go do that-" I patted him on the back and ushered him away from the buildings, giving a soft wave as he slowly walked off.

"Until next time princess." He bowed and I couldn't react fast enough to do anything but nod in return. Stupid Venus. What am I doing, letting myself be all mushy everytime a guy speaks to me. I'm getting married for Helios's sake. Then I wanted to vomit.

Slowly trotting back over to the scissors, I looked up at the doors and grabbed one handle, pulling the large wooden door as hard as I could.

Thankfully, it broke free from the rust that had accumulated over the years of it being sealed shut. Out came dust, and other substances I didn't want to have to identify, and I stepped in to the large room. The walls were large slabs of wood, and there was only one window, but seeing as it was dark out, it didn't help to illuminate the room. In the center of the room, there was a large cauldron, that seemed like it had many years of use put into it, as it was nearly rotted away near the bottom, and one of the legs seemed to be propped up by nothing but a book. The shelves were scattered with little vials and bottle of various liquids and powders, all labeled in an older dialect of Venusian that I could thankfully read from various classes with Mercury. There were also stacks of books, all in the same dialect, and that had layers of accumulated dust laying on top of all the covers. I decided to flip through the titles, finding many of my interest, and covering things I had never even heard of. What did catch my attention, however was the fact that one book was in a lonesome corner by itself, laying in a nook in the wall. Taking it out, I brushed off the dust to read the title. Sadly, it was so worn the title wasn't legible. I opened the book, and decided to read through the contents.

Chapter 1. Learning to see strings

Chapter 2. Mastering strings

Chapter 3. Different types of bonds

Chapter 4. Temporary bonds

Chapter 5. Superficial bonds

Chapter 6. Eternal bonds

Chapter 7. Breaking bonds

I paused reading the title of chapter 7, and then it caught my interest enough for me to scan through it. There I saw them. The scissors, drawn beautifully in the pages. Labeled as the only known item to break soul bonds. I looked back over to the scissors, still laying near the door where I stepped over them. Grabbing a woven bag from the floor, I tossed the book, 2 others, and a good variety of vials and bottles from the shelves, and then the scissors, running towards the teleporters next door.

Brushing away some gold dust, I punched in the moon's coordinates to the keypad.

"Malfunction." It said in the eerie robotic voice.

"No no no-" I punched the keypad another time.

"Malfunction." Then it hit me. Queen Serenity shut down the primitive teleporter after the revolution. I slowly slid myself to the ground, ignoring the sound of the machine behind me, my hand still lingering on the buttons above.

"Would you like to relocate to Earth? Pleas confirm on the keypad below." I slowly opened my eyes. Earth. My finger pressed the small green button, and I tightened my grip on the bag in my hands, and then there was nothing but light.

It was still night hours on Earth, and the energy of my crystal was still fluctuating due to my emotions being so out of whack. I was still breathing rather sporadic, and though I'd stop crying for the most part, I hadn't really calmed down. I adjusted the bag on my shoulder and stood up, brushing the grass off of my satin cream dress. I kind of hated being in the dress, not because I didn't like the look of it, or the feel of it in my body, but because it was decently windy. I was so very cold. The dress left much of my skin exposed, and every time the breeze passed me by, I shuddered. Earth's weather was too much for me.

I finally started walking, realizing I should find somewhere to try and calm down. I spotted a tree in the corner of a large expanse near a small forest, and a lake. I decided to hurry and climb up, making sure no one spotted me. I'm sure the grass had a great view of my ass. I swung my bag up and moved my last leg over the branch, comfortably situated in a straddle over the tree branch. I scooted backwards time make sure my back was flush against the trunk, and rummaged through my bag for the book that had information on the scissors. Pulling it out, I decided to start at the very beginning.

"History of soulbonding"

"Once, many millenia ago, an old woman on her deathbed came to Venus, and demanded to see the young princess of the castle. The royal family reluctantly obliged, and the old woman gave the princess her amazing gift, the power to see bonded souls. The poor woman turned to golden dust, and vanished into thin air. The princess said she felt nothing upon gain of the power, and continued on with her daily life as if nothing had ever happened. Nearly a week later, she started seeing things. Red ropes tied to everyone's wrists. If she followed the ropes, she would find the counterpart of their soul, which became known as soulmates. The princess started to watch young couples fall in love and break apart, because they weren't each other's soulmates. She decided she would assist those of which she could connect the strings, and had a reputation for matchmaking. Though she spent her whole life making others happy, she never found her soulmate. The power she possessed was passed down to her kin, and their kin after that, staying in the royal blood for as long as time..."

I started to get disappointed when I saw the rest of the pages were missing. The next chapter carried on without flaw, but there were 3 pages missing that left so many questions in Venus's brain. Why did the princess not find her match? It was a little frustrating in my mind, but eventually I decided to carry on.

The book said that the bonds were to be viewed as a red rope tied around ones's wrist. The rope had only ever been seen as red, though there have been people who have been discovered to not have a rope at all.

It also said that a Venusian of royal blood can inherit this power only when they have passed the age of 16 lunar years, and still have virgin blood in their veins. Okay... I flipped a couple pages in to find in order to awaken it, I would need to brew an herbal concoction at the hour of midnight, prick my finger, and dip my hands in. Blah, blah, a few minor side effects, okay- I shuffled through the bag's contents to find I had 3/4 of the herbs I needed to actually perform this. I still needed a kind of flower. I sighed in relief, the Terran gardens had so many flowers.

I dropped from my tree position to go and gather a rose from a patch almost directly nearby, and head into the castle to find something to put all the contents in. It was coming up on 12, judging from the moon's position, and I would maybe only need a short amount of time to get everything together after finding a kitchen in the palace. I slowly pushed open the large stone door, and easily snuck through the halls considering I didn't have shoes. Thankfully I found the staff kitchen rather quickly, and pulled out a large cauldron like pot that I quickly put a decent amount of water in, and set above a flame I had started on the other side of the kitchen area.

I made sure to quickly check my surroundings before continuing, in case anyone nearby was aware of my presence.

I took a few vials from my bag and the rose I picked from the garden, setting them aside on a flat surface. I added adequate portions of each to the pot of water, and reluctantly pricked my finger with one of the garden roses. It stung, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I squeezed the end of my finger to produce enough blood to create a droplet, and watched as it fell into the concoction in front of me. I stirred everything together, and put out the flame the pot was resting above.

I quickly referenced my book, and glanced outside to see I didn't have much time before midnight. I shook my hands a few times to prepare myself, and submerged them into the odd pinkish liquid.

(Kunzite POV:)

I suddenly jolted awake, though I wasn't sure why. I sat up and ran a finger through my hair, trying to slowly adjust to being awake. It was still dark out, so it couldn't be morning yet. I stepped out over to the large terrace to notice the moon's position meant it must be close to peak night. I sighed. I had absolutely no reason to be awake, I was on one of the earlier shifts tomorrow. Endymion's father had more suitresses coming to waste his morning. In all honesty, Endy should just ask for Serenity's hand and get all of this over with, though I know their marriage would simply cause chaos. I realized at this point I couldn't sleep now, and that I had to find something to do with my time. I sighed again and went to exit, wearing nothing but the pants I had slept in.

Walking through the long corridor, I noticed Zoisite still had candlelight softly glowing through the door, meaning he must still be awake. It wasn't surprising honestly. I doubt he ever slept. I slowly paced the palace grounds, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. That is before coming across the staff kitchen.

I noticed there was a little too much light apparent from the bottom of the door for it to just be moonlight, and I slowly decided what my course of action would be. It could just be a staff member fixing food, or Zoisite gathering water for some experiment, or anything else absolutely harmless, but I couldn't take that chance. Backing up to the wall behind me, I grabbed a sword off of a display on the wall, and slowly walked toward the kitchen.

(Venus POV:)

The water was only slightly warm at this point, and didn't burn my hands as I suspected. The book had said to keep them in until I really felt something, which I hadn't. At all. It just felt like I was sticking my hands in water. Then, a rush of sensation passed through my body. I felt my whole body grow firm and stiff, and I involuntarily shut my eyes, inhaling the herbal smell of the mixture I had created. Finally, I felt the firm sensation pass, starting from my face, down to my chest, my torso, and then my legs. I quickly retracted my hands from the water, and shook them off, grabbing a nearby cloth to dry them clean. The mixture evaporated, leaving only the whole rose sitting in what was now a dry pot.

Then I heard it. Metal scraping against metal. I froze. I slowly grabbed my crystal and blew out the candles, making sure it was as dark as possible. I held the Crystal tight in my hands and shut my eyes, praying to helios that this would work. Please please please please please.

The door swung open. I opened my eyes, and stood perfectly still, holding my breath. Then he stepped forward. It was Kunzite of course, holding what was probably an antique sword in self defense. I was an idiot for doing this in the Terran castle. He came slightly closer into my view, and I could finally see his whole figure.

He was shirtless. And oh, so very hot.

I bit my lip. Goddamn V. I was just waiting for him to leave. I was slowly distracted from keeping up my camouflaging. I needed full concentration, and at this rate, I wasn't going to get it. I was still mentally thinking everything over while trying to ignore absolutely anything influenced by the herbs and tried to make quiet breaths as to avoid suspicion. He moved the sword in his hands and I again felt the need to breathe, but held it back as much as it could, and placed my right hand over my mouth.

He moved forward in a swift move, holding the blade centimeters away from my neck. Shit.

What I did however notice, was the large knotted rope I saw tied to his right hand.

It worked.

It had come to my attention at that moment that I couldn't see my rope. Great. Kunzite must have been on the verge of moving the sword into my neck when Zoisite stepped in, and I noticed I could see his rope too.

(Zoisite POV:)

"Kunzite." I said, putting a hand on my friend's shoulder. "I was in here. I left the candles lit, it's my fault."

He sighed and dropped his blade from nearly slicing through thin air. "Don't do that next time. I was paranoid out of my mind. I don't know what I would do I'm somehow I let any danger to the prince into this castle." He shook his head and stepped around me. "And go to sleep." He said, exiting the room and heading back down the long hall. I waited a minute until he passed out of my view, and I could hear him enter his chambers.

"I know you're there."I said to the empty room. "And you're welcome for saving your ass." I could sense a figure, not one of any danger to me, but someone was there, and they were using lunar magic to disguise themself. It was something I had learned to pick up on after spending many afternoons with Mercury.

The culprit released their guise, revealed to be none other than lady Venus, who immediately fell to her knees upon release of the magic. "Ah, the seductress herself." I stated.

She panted for a moment, and then stood to meet my gaze. "I don't know where you get that idea from." She was still brushing off her knees and dress.

"History, and I mean, look at your attire." I glanced to scan her figure. She was a woman of slightly above average height, with a decently slender body, with much curves, and the dress was something of that a prostitute would wear. It made her look, dare I say it, like an innocent virgin whore. To be honest, I wasn't exactly entranced or appealed by Venus herself, sure she had a good body, and she was pretty, but I wasn't really too subjective about those things. They were things that were more Jadeite or Nephrite's preferences. "You're dressed like a prostitute."


	6. Inevitably

Ch 6- Inevitably 

**A/N:** Well, here I am. _Finally_ , a new chapter. (4 months ago was the last update... :'/ ) I am so, so, so sorry about how long this took. My mental health has been pretty sucky lately, and school finally closed out for the year. I'm not much of a summer activity person, so it'll be pretty safe to say uploads should be way more frequent. Maybe every two weeks? Truth be told, I've been writing THREE other stories on top of this one, and the Death is Just a Setback reboot. They're moving along nicely- but this one has had me at a standstill. Originally I had a clear plan of what this chapter was going to hold, but it's slowly escaped my mind, and I had to start from scratch... this one will be a good bit shorter than the last- which was about 2x my usual dose of writing. Keep an eye out for a new story upload- I've got 2 in the works so we'll see which one makes an appearance here first... thank you for your patience!

There is a scene that involves the Queens of the respective planets, and to keep the story flowing, they are referred to as the same names as their daughters, because, well, they do have the same names. If there is any confusion I wanted to clear up the only people in that scene will be the Queens (not the princesses), Luna, and Artemis.*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Serenity POV)

I was being shaken awake. My vision was still focusing in, and my back was aching from my lack of sleep. I could hear a familiar voice lecturing me, but her words went in one ear and out the other.

"Like 3 more hours Jupiter-" I yawned and grabbed the plush comforter. "I'm _tired_."

She harshly ripped the blanket away and stared at me, hands on her hips.

"Up." She commanded. I didn't want to get up. I stared out to my balcony, peering through the paneled glass out towards the sky. It was still dark out. Way too early for me to be up. I was on the verge of drifting back into my sleep when I felt a warm bundle of fur snuggle against me. I tried to suppress a giggle. Endy had said it was called a "bunny".

Jupiter rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you snuck that creature back here. Do you know what your mother will do if she finds it? Where are you going to say it came from?" She sighed. "You better _hope_ it'll never come to that. Come on, up." She dragged me out of the bed, tossing me one of my everyday dresses and a brush.

o0o

(Venus POV:)

I sighed, staring up at the ceiling of my room on the moon. Why couldn't I just put up with my mother for one day? Why did I have to run off, go on this dumb adventure? The events of last night almost felt like a dream. Truth be told, I wasn't too sure what happened after Zoisite saved my ass. We talked for a little bit, and then the newfound power must have knocked me out, considering I don't remember much aside from hitting the floor. Looking around the room, most things were how I left them. My crystal was sitting on the bedside table, the dress hanging on the closet's door, and the bag was propped on the wall near the door. What was odd to see, was my shoes and ribbon, delicately placed on the bench near my feet. _The ones I left behind_. At _Magellan_. Someone brought me back.

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. The only person who ever bothered to knock before entering was Mercury.

"Come in." My suspicions were correct, because a split second later, she trotted into the room carrying a book and some water.

"Are you feeling okay?" She removed her glove and placed the back of her hand in my head.

"Yes? Why do you ask?" I questioned. She took the glass of water and placed it in my hands, signaling me to drink it.

"Zoi called me. You passed out at the palace." I sat there silently. Crap. She knew. "What were you doing there?"

I sighed, telling her most of the events of the past night, going over her mother's plans for her future, and finding the old Venusian history books in search of the teleporters, meeting that guard, and everything else that led up to the point of me passing out in the Terran palace at 1 am.

"Oh, now that you mention it-" She moved to put her glove back on. "That guard came by- he's the one who brought your shoes and things back. Adonis was it? He's sweet."

I blushed. Adonis? He brought my things here? "Did he say anything to you?"

"Hmm. Not much, but he does seem to hold you in a very high regard. He admires you very much. It's cute." She smiled at me, and then bowed before heading to the door. "Oh- I almost forgot! Your book." She held the worm book out towards me. "It was in the bag with the other things. I'm afraid I let my curiosity get the better of me." She apologized.

I smiled wholeheartedly. "Don't worry about it. You're always welcome to read any books of mine." I giggled, taking the book from her hands. My eyes fell to her wrist, noticing I could still see the large knotted ropes. I wasn't imagining it. Mercury nodded, smiling back and shutting the door behind her.

"Mercury, Mercury, Mercury... who could your soulmate be?" I questioned aloud. I wondered if I'd ever get to find out.

o0o

(Luna POV:)

I sat in the queen's study, arms crossed, eyes shut, and brow twitching. I couldn't believe the events that had happened these past few weeks. First, I learned about Serenity's romantic _escapades_ to the Earth, then of her little creature, and now Venus's act there last night. This was too much. Why of all places did the princess have to be obsessed with the Earth? The _one_ planet we didn't have good diplomatic relationships with. I sighed, finally opening my ears to semi-listen to the conversation before me. Most of the members of the silver alliance were present in the form of holograms, projected into a semi circle facing none other than Queen Serenity's chair. Artemis was on the other side of the table, parallel to me, staring at me with a concerned expression. I waved him off, and turned back to face the assembly before me.

"-have to continue to treat them as a threat. There is no more discussion needed." The Queen of Uranus looked clearly annoyed at the discussion being had.

"The Earth is nothing but another potential ally for our union! Don't you think we could use their technology and government as an example for our own? There is nothing we could lose by befriending them- For Helios's sake we overpower their military 7:1!" The Mercurian Queen had interjected.

"That's not true. They have Elysion on their side. We don't know what forces they have the ability to pull from there." The quiet ruby haired woman, who I assumed to be the Queen of Mars, spoke for the first time in this debate. She was a silent, yet fierce force to be reckoned with.

"As Mercury said- their knowledge could be of immense use to us. The Jovian armies are nowhere near as organized as the Terran milita- and we know this. Why aren't we taking this risk?"

"Why would we taint our good soils with their kind?" The Venusian Queen shot a glance at the Emerald haired woman across from her. "They have never been a trustworthy ally. Imagine Serenity- how would your people react if your daughter were to fraternize with the Terrans? It would be an outrageous front. They'd riot the castle." I stiffened in my chair. If only she knew. She scoffed and tossed her cream colored hair over her shoulder. "They were kicked from the silver alliance for a reason. A _reason_ , Serenity. They're _traitors_."

Queen Serenity sat in silence, mulling over the decisions before her. I fought the urge to say something. I personally believed the Earth to be a good ally in the long run, though my opinion didn't count. The votes were tied 3:3 at the moment, Uranus, Venus, and Mars believing they were up to no good, and Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune open to accept them into the planetary alliance. My queen had the final say, and it was clear she was at a crossroads.

"You say such things as if we're better off befriending Saturn. And they're a _dead_ planet." The Queen of Neptune spoke, choosing her words carefully. "If we want our alliance to be strong enough to defend ourselves against other galaxies, we must risk their loyalty in hopes they will stay with us. What would happen if we were attacked and the Earth was lured against us? We would not be able to hold our own."

"That's a risk _I'm_ willing to take." The Martian Queen spoke.

"Mars!" Mercury scolded.

"What about the dead moon?" Jupiter questioned. The room fell silent. "Nehelania is gone but her curse stays. How do you suppose we go about protecting the princess without the Earth as an ally?"

"She has her senshi, and Uranus and Neptune have their soldiers on watch for intergalactic threats. That's _plenty_ enough." Uranus chided.

"Plenty enough? What we need is more assistance! If we are to take Nehelania's curse to be true there should be no expense wasted on not protecting Princess Serenity." Mercury countered. "The moon kingdom needs an heir."

"What if Serenity were to bear a child before she's crowned? Then-" Venus was interrupted by Serenity.

" ** _No_**." Her hand gripped the arm of the chair excruciatingly hard. Her lilac eyes were cold and unnerving.

"Why not? In case of Serenity's untimely death you would have an heir- if you were to reign control for a few more years before the child is of age- everything would work out. Serenity is of age to bear a child-" The blonde Queen continued.

"I said no." I swallowed hard. The queen was scary when she was mad. "My daughter will not be married off to some man as a prevention for her death. She's not ready."

"She is plenty ready! My daughter is going to be married off before the year closes. I suggest your daughter grows up." Venus argued.

"You're a fool for that. Venus isn't ready either and you know it perfectly well. You'd rather see your daughter gone because she reminds you of your husband. How is shipping her off to a suitor going to save her from the pain you went through? You've gone mad Venus. You're in no place to be saying such things about _my_ daughter." She locked eyes with the other woman, who was half shocked, and half annoyed. Queen Serenity broke the contact and sighed, rubbing her temples. "The Earth..." She briefly turned and made eye-contact with me, her eyes a look of desperation. She sighed, shaking her head and turned back to the group before her. "The Earth will _not_ be joining the silver alliance this year." Mercury sighed, holding her head in her hands.

I'm not sure what the Queen was thinking. She may have been sparing herself the wrath of the very passionate opinions of the ones opposing it. There was always next year. One by one the Queens said their farewells, bowing and disconnecting their broadcast.

"Luna, Artemis." I looked up at my Queen. "Can you fetch the others for a meeting? Bring them back here please." She sounded exhausted.

"Yes ma'am." I stood and nodded at Artemis, who joined me as I was leaving.

"What's on your mind?" He prompted, walking by my side.

"I'm just worried. About Serenity..." I sighed. "Honestly that whole scene made me want to worry about Venus too. Her mother is something."

"She..." Artemis sighed as well. "She's something. She cares about her deep down, but- she's misguided. Trust me I'm not too keen about her marriage arrangements either. As for Serenity... all we can do is protect her. Keep her and Endymion a secret. I fear that if they're found out... well, that the consequences might be the untimely end Nehelania had mentioned."

"As long as I live, I will try my hardest to keep them a secret." I met his eyes with my gaze. "We just have to wait until Serenity is crowned. A few years... Art can you believe it?" He smiled, and held open the door to the main hall.

"Honestly, _no_."

o0o

(Jupiter POV:)

After ages of trying to wake and prepare the princess for the day, I closely followed her out of her bedroom and into the long hallway. She was such a pain to wrangle in the mornings. I suppressed a giggle as she stumbled while fixing her shoe. Letting out a sigh, I glanced out the large open windows that made up most of the crystalline walls. It was so standstill and lifeless. Not that the moon wasn't beautiful, or a sight to see, but after spending a few afternoons on the Earth, I finally understood her curiosity. Earth was so different. It was exactly what she needed. What we _all_ needed.

o0o

(Mars POV:)

My brow twitched anxiously as I tried to concentrate on the flames in front of me. I had been getting premonitions... or rather _nightmares_ of the future. Nothing vivid... or clear. Just _destruction_. I was worried about Serenity, so I decided to consult the fire. I had been sitting here for hours incanting rituals, but they had been to no avail. I slumped back, wiping sweat from my cheek, and took a deep breath. The spirits were keeping answers from me. I want to know. I _need_ to know. For sere's sake. Nothing can happen to her. The fire flickered ruthlessly, the white noise having been the only thing to reach my ears this morning.

I stood up after a moment, carefully undoing the intricate sash on the embroidered prayer robes of the palace, and shrugged it off my shoulders. I held it in my arms as I let out a deep breath, and then I heard it.

 _The fire._

It roared almost violently, the initial shock of the moise was enough to make me flinch. By the time I directed my attention back to the core of the flames, I only caught a glimpse of the time lapse before me. Serenity, _her_ unmistakable dress, and a sword. A _Terran_ sword. Right through _her_ stomach. My breath caught in my throat. Racing to the floor, I kneeled in front of the dulling flame, eyes wide in concern, and desperate for answers, but before I could get them, the fire put itself out. I sat there in silence for a moment, mulling over any possibility that what I saw wasn't real. It wasn't true. It wouldn't happen. It can't.

Using the powers of my home planet I focused everything into the boards before me, trying as hard as I could to get the fire to re-light. The spirits were denying it. I grimaced at the floor before me and slammed my fist into the ground below me. Damn it.

Adjusting my dress and my hair, I stepped back into the Martian palace, rushing to my room to grab my crystal and report back to Venus. If anyone was going to know, it was going to be the leader of our team. My mother must have just finished a meeting with the alliance, because I heard her open the throne room doors behind me.

"Ah- there you are! Come my daughter." I internally groaned. I had better things to do than spend time with my mother, as much as I loved her. She was dressed in one her lacy, wispy, red gowns, with her deep red hair falling down her shoulders. It was stick straight, like mine, but instead of falling down the middle of my back, it fell well past the back of her knees, and was adorned with little rubies and chains of stones and metals that accented her dress. She patted down my shoulders, fixing the straps of my dress and smoothing out the bottom, before tucking a piece of my raven and burgundy locks behind my ear. "Queen Serenity has decided Earth will not be joining the Silver Alliance this year." She said sweetly, gripping my upper arms and smiling.

"Again?" I asked.

" _Again_." She added another smile. "I don't know why she tries so hard to make peace with everyone. It's inevitable that some people aren't to be trusted." I simply nodded, head running with thoughts.

 _'It's inevitable that some people aren't to be trusted.'_


End file.
